Apparatus for feeding powdered or pulverized fuel.



F. CALDWELL.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING POWDERED 0R PULVERIZED FUEL. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-26. I916- mamsg, Patented June 26, 1917,

WITNESSES IIWEIVTOR ATTORNEYS r' sinus Arlen on.

FRANK CALDWELL, F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

. Q APPARATUS FOR FEEDING POWDERED 01B, PULVERIZED FUEL.

menace.

Application filed September 26, 1916.. Serial No. 122,228.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK OALDwmL, a

citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inApparatus for Feeding Powdered or Pulverized Fuel,

of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates generally to apparatus for feeding fuel, and more particularly to apparatus for feeding powdered or pulverized fuel by the use of an air jet, the air co-mingling with fuel in its passage to the point of consumption. a

The object of my present improvement is to provide such an apparatus including a delivery pipe having a delivery nozzle and further provided with means in the'form of ajtortuous passage preceding its delivery end whereby the air and the powdered or pulverized fuel are checked in their forward within the furnace or movement without undue retardation, to secure their eflI'ective admixture or commin-. gling for the purpose of increasing combustion ,at the point of consumption.

Another object of the invention isto provide a simple apparatus, in which provision is made for the suitable heating of the fuel and the air and the mixture thereof, in order to insure of a dry: state and a suificient temperature to .avoid chilling the gases other point of consumption.

With the above in mind, my invention resides in the features of construction, arrangement and combination, as hereinafter pointed out, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein :Y I

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section. through my improvement, and "illustrating the same in connection with the.fire-box of a furnace or other combustion space.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse, section taken therethrough substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1',

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal'section through a portion of the delivery pipe; and

Fig. 4 is anend view of the delivery nozzle. W

Referring now particularly to these figures, the powdered or pulverized fuel is fed from a hopper 10, by means of a fluted or otherwise formed feed roller 11 at the lower delivery opening 12 of said hopper,

the hopper, being provided with a jacket 13 opens into a horizontally extending casing 16 inolosing a screw conveyer 17, longitudinally of the casing, and by means of which, in conjunction with the fluted or otherwise formed feed roller 11, a substantially uniform feed of the powdered or pulverized fuel may be had at the tapering delivery opening 18 of the casing ,16 located. at the relatively opposite end thereof, from the hopper 10.

The feed screw 17 is mounted u on a shaft 19, having one end thereof pro ecting beyond the respective end of the casing 16 and provided with a pulley 20 by which the. screw may be connected with a suitable source of power. "The roller 11 is likewise mounted upon a shaft 21 projecting laterally beyond one side'of the hopper 10, as best seen in Fig. 2, and provided with a pulley 22 forming a steam space 14 between the same for belt connection with a; suitable source of the latter as best seen in Fig. 4, being flared and flattened as at 26, and thecon- *nection" of pipe 24 therewith being by means of a flexible union 27,1whereby the nozzle 25 may be adjusted vertically in the opening 28 of a fire box 29 with a plate 29 secured in vertical adjustment uponthe wall of the'fire box and held as by means of a clamping nut 30.

Intermediate the ends of the casing 23, the feed pipe 24 is provided with an abrufitly inclined portion 31 and with a helica y coiled portion 32, .the latter being between the inclined portion 31 and the nozzle 25 as seen by reference'to Fig. 1.

- e easing 23is provided with a dependortion 33, intermediate its ends, for forming a; continuation of the tapering outlet 18 of the screw casing 16 to receive the substantially uniform supply of powdered or pulverized fuel. To the lower portion of 31!! the part 33 of the casing 23 is secured the abruptly inclined portion 31 of the delivery 1 and pipe 24, as clearly seen by reference to Figs.

strap or other fastening 34, so as to maintain' the abruptly inclined portion 31 in .proper relation to the feed channel for the fuel to receive such fuel through its upper longitudinal slot 35 as seen in Fig. 3, the

fuel so entering pipe 24 falling upon a diaphragm 36 from'the lower end of which it is continually drawn into the current of air passing through pipe 24, so that the air and fuel thus joined will be checked in their movements through the helix 32 of the pipe and intimately mixed or co-mingled therein before delivery from the nozzle 25 Without undue retardation.

The casing 23 forms a steam chamber and to this end is provided with a valved steam supply pipe 37, as well as an outlet valve 38, for condensation, the pipe 15 before described leading from the casing 23 so as to supply steam therefrom to the space 14 around the hopper 10. The air aswell as the powdered or pulverized fuel will thus be heated suificiently even before their admixture to thoroughly dry the same and in-' crease their temperatures both before and after admixture to such a point as to avoid all danger of chilling the gases within the fire box or other source of consumption or combustion of the fuel.

It is obvious in operation that the nozzle 25 may be adjusted vertically, as desired,

and provided with a substantially continuous uniform combustible mixture through the uniform feed of the fuel as before described and the uniform air supply, and that the air being as usual under pressure, will discharge the mixture in a spray or thin film into the fire box or combustion space, whereby to provide for its ready ignition and thorough consumption, as well as the maximum units of heat from its use.

It is furthermore obvious that as far as the powdered or pulverized fuel is concerned, wood, grain, coal or other material may and can be utilized.

2, the connection being made by a tardation.

' I claim 1. In an apparatus of the character de- 7 ing the fuel uniformly from the said hopper to the said fuel inlet of the supply pipe.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of an air supply pipe having an injecting nozzle at one end, and an intermediate fuel receiving opening, said pipe having a helix therein between the said fuel receiving opening and the said nozzle, a casing forminga' steam chamber and surrounding the said helix and fuel intake opening of the said air supply pipe, and

having a tapering feed channel leading into the said inlet opening of the pipe, and means whereby to feed fuel through the said channel for the purpose described.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a feed channel,

means for feeding pulverized fuel uniformly to the said feed channel, an air supply .pipe having an intermediate angular portion disposed adjacent said feed'channel and provided with an opening to receive fuel from the-said feed channel and with an intermediate diaphragm downwardly upon which the fuelis movable into the current of air passing through the pipe, said pipe having a delivery nozzle at one end and a helix therein between the said angular portion and the said delivery nozzle whereby -to check movement of the air and fuel and thoroughly mix the same without undue re- FRANK CALDWELL. 

